Monday April 30, 2012 7:30pm The Czechoslovak Society of Arts and Sciences Alberta and the Wirth Institute present Whitney-Leigh Sloan, soprano, and Sylvia Shadick-Taylor in a program of Czech songs and arias. Timms Centre for the Arts (UofA) 112 87 Av.

Saturday April 28, 2012 9:30am Gospel workshop with Louise Rose presented by Eva Bostrand, artistic director of A Joyful Noise. St. Andrew’s United Church 9912 148 St. $25 at the door includes the workshop and an invitation to perform at the April 29 concert.

Saturday April 28, 2012 3pmMr. Majeika and the Magic Organ by Bob Chilcott. A short magical story for children with a pipe organ "show and tell" and other activities afterward. Timothy Anderson, narrator, Tammy-Jo Mortensen, organ. Admission is pay-what-you-can. Robertson-Wesley United Church 10209 123 St.

Saturday April 28, 2012 7pm Mill Creek Colliery Band – Prairie Brass Band Festival. William Gordon, guest conductor. Music includes Where Eagles Sing (Lovatt-Cooper), Maori melody Hine e Hine and Fanfare for the Common Man and Hoedown from Rodeo by Aaron Copland. All Saints Anglican Cathedral 10035 103 St. $20, $15, children under 12 are free.

Sunday April 29, 2012 7:30pm Edmonton Recital Society presents Katherine Chi, piano (first ever Canadian winner of the Esther Honens International Piano Competition). Music includes Tombeau de Couperin, Ravel, Sonata no. 27 in e minor, Beethoven and other works by Chopin, Griffes and Canadian Composer Alexina Louie. McDougall United Church 10086 MacDonald Dr. $30, $20, Tix on the Square or at the door.

Monday April 30, 2012 7:30pm The Czechoslovak Society of Arts and Sciences Alberta and the Wirth Institute present Whitney-Leigh Sloan, soprano, and Sylvia Shadick-Taylor in a program of Czech songs and arias. Timms Centre for the Arts (UofA) 112 87 Av.

Bring your arts, culture and heritage questions with notebooks and pencils to the Prince of Wales Armouries this Friday. Tell all your professional artist and arts supporters friends to come, too. Let’s impress upon all these candidates how important arts, culture and heritage is to all Albertans.

Want to know where the different parties stand on arts and culture issues in the province of Alberta? PACE recently sent the following information and questions to the leaders of every party running candidates in the current election.

PACE is starting to receive responses to the “ask” it sent to all political leaders running in the 2012 Alberta provincial election. We have heard back from the Alberta NDP and the PC Alberta leaders so far. Click here to see the answers they gave to the questions we asked on behalf of Alberta’s arts and culture sector.

In the meantime, we encourage members of the arts community and all their supporters to pose these same questions to candidates at forums and on the doorstep. We need to impress upon them that the Alberta arts sector is vital to our province and we are taking an active role in the outcome of this election.

What you need to know about arts and culture in Alberta before you answer our questions:

91% of Albertans feel art activities are important in contributing to the overall quality of life in their community. Source: Annual Survey of Albertans, Resinnova Research & Consulting Inc. 2010

Albertans receive a 12:1 return on every dollar spent on the arts. Source: Summary of the Economic Impact of the Arts in Alberta,Alberta Foundation for the Arts, 2005.

88% of Albertans feel it is important that the Government of Alberta continues to fund and support the arts. Source: Culture and Community Services Annual Survey of Albertans on Culture, Leger Marketing, 2011

All three levels of government receive tax revenue through the arts sector. A total of 67.9 million in taxes is collected (in Alberta) through taxation systems each year. Source Culture and Community Spirit Department Fact and Figures 2010

Please give PACE your position on the following:

1. Do you support a restoration of the 2010 16 per cent cut to the AFA?2. If elected to serve the people of Alberta in the next Legislature, will you work towards immediately increasing lottery money investment to arts, culture and heritage by 25%?

Here are the arts and culture platforms put out so far. We will post more as they become available. Check out what these parties have to say on our future:

Friday, April 13, 2012

This summer will see something particularly special for Edmonton’s choral community. Les Choralies Edmonton 2012 is an opportunity for French-speaking choristers to participate in a weeklong choral festival in Edmonton from Sunday, July 8th to Sunday, July15th.

Participants from Québec, France, Africa and all over Canada will take part in workshops and concerts making this an exciting cultural experience. And you don’t need to belong to a choir to participate (although some choral experience is a plus) – register as an individual and meet up with choristers from all over la Francophonie!

In celebration of its 75th anniversary, Chorale Saint-Jean will be hosting this event along with two other major partners: Campus Saint-Jean, of the University of Alberta, and the Quebec Choral Federation (l’Alliance des chorales du Québec). This is a rare opportunity for French-speaking choristers to meet in Western Canada, as an event such as this was last held in Edmonton in 1973.

ATELIERS (Workshops)

Throughout the week, participants get to choose either a 6-day workshop of a major French-Canadian work, Elles s’appelaient Marie by Alberta's own France Levasseur-Ouimet OR La Grand-Messe by Québec composer Gilles Vigneault.

Participants can also choose two consecutive 3-day workshops: Musique de l'Acadie et de l'Ouest OR Musique traditionelle de l'Afrique. (Edmonton’s own Scott Leithead holds will lead this workshop in English) AND Les chansons des Roses by Morten Lauridsen (this will be a bilingual workshop) OR Les grands chansonniers français. These break-out choirs will rehearse the chosen works from 9:00 until 12:00 every morning for presentation in concert at the end of the week.

MASSED CHOIR

One of the major highlights of this festival will be the daily rehearsals of the Massed Choir where a variety of beautiful repertoire will be sung, from classical pieces with organ to Negro Spirituals to beautiful arrangements of French Chansons. This will culminate in an exciting closing concert performed by the Massed Choir at the beautiful Winspear Centre for Music on Sunday, July 15th.

CONCERTS and MORE

The program includes 3 major concerts at the Winspear Centre for Music: the opening concert on Sunday, July 8th, When east meets west, the Gala concert on Friday, July 13th When classical music meets POP and the final closing concert on Sunday, July 15th. Throughout the week, gathered choristers will perform final works from their workshops, and there will be performances by guest choirs.

Stay tuned for the official launch of the festival’s artistic program on Wednesday, April 25th.

*N.B. A fairly good working knowledge and comprehension of the French language is required to participate in Les Choralies.

Friday April 13 and Saturday April 14, 2011 8pm Cosmopolitan Music Society – Pops Concert, Tuesday and Wednesday Bands. Old Strathcona Performing Arts Centre 8426 Gateway Blvd. Tickets $10 adults, $7 students/seniors and children five and under are FREE when purchased in advance.

Saturday April 14, 2012 3pm Kokopelli – Songquest. Kokopelli's youngest choirs pursue a wayward feline around the world through music. St. Timothy's Anglican Church, 8420 145 St. $16, $13, Tix on the Square or at the door.

Saturday April 14, 2012 7:30pm Festival City Winds Music Society with guest ensemble the Edmonton Sackbone Express. Dr. Eila Peterson and Wendy J. Grasdahl, conductors with Patricia Gauci, guest soloist. Music includes works by Tielman, Praetorious, Banchieri, and Palestrina.

One of Canada's foremost professional choirs, Pro Coro is holding auditions for 2012-2013. The upcoming season will showcase the talent and unique skills of this virtuoso choir, featuring some of the greatest a cappella works from the 19th to 21st centuries. Pro Coro regularly performs at the Winspear Centre in Edmonton, and travels frequently throughout the region.

Pro Coro's new Artistic Director and Principal Conductor, Michael Zaugg, will be selecting individual singers for the choir's core ensemble. Outstanding artists will be offered opportunities for solo work in Pro Coro's six season subscription concerts as well as other performances.

Auditions for Pro Coro Canada will take place with Mr. Zaugg in Edmonton, Alberta from Thursday April 26 to Sunday April 29, 2012 at the Alberta College Conservatory of Music. The audition will consist of two elements:

Individual - 15 minutes per singer, pianist provided

Ensemble - 90 minutes per group of 12, a cappella

Please contact the Pro Coro office to arrange for your individual audition, held either April 26 between 1:30pm and 10pm or April 27 from 10am to 9pm. Ensemble auditions will take place on a call-back basis on April 28 or 29 between noon and 5:45 pm.

Once your individual audition is booked, you will be provided with detailed requirements and pdfs of three mandatory pieces.

Monday April 2, 2012 6pm Mayor's Celebration of the Arts 25th Anniversary, presented by the Professional Arts Coalition of Edmonton (PACE). Winspear Centre.

Tuesday April 3, 2012 8pm A Celebration of Winds and Voices - Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Madrigal Singers and Concert Choir Featuring works by Brahms, Grainger, Holsinger, Purcell and Whitacre and Brahms’ Begräbnisgesange, op. 13 and American composer David Holsinger’s A Song of Moses. Tickets $20,$15,$10 at door. Winspear Centre.

Run For Music is a fundraising and advocacy project of the Alberta Choral Federation. Participants will take part in a 5 km run, a 5km walk, or a 10 km run. Unique in its design, while advocating for the importance of choral music, funds raised through Run For Music pledges are split between Edmonton-and-area choirs and the Alberta Choral Federation.

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As a former performer and teacher, Classical Music in Edmonton allows me to promote the work of local musicians, enable more Edmontonians to attend concerts, and encourage the performance of great music in Edmonton and Northern Alberta.

For more information, or to request to add information or concert listings, or if you believe any information posted here is incorrect or offensive, please contact: classicalmusicinedmonton@gmail.com All listings are subject to change without notice.

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